The Differences Between Nail Polish And Gel Polish
Updated 2025.06.16. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, Lots of Lacquer and its partners may earn a commission or other compensation, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Both nail polish and gel polish have their benefits, and there are different reasons to use each. I personally find value in each type of polish and there’s a reason why we feature both types of polish on the blog.
Though, I have noticed recently that more of our readers are purchasing gel polish and if you’re typically a nail polish fan, you may be wondering what the difference is between these two polish types.
While I believe the main difference between them is how you dry the manicure, there are several other factors that set these polish types apart.
To start, we’ll discuss nail polish, then gel polish and end with a discussion on which one may be right for you.
Nail Polish
Nail polishes offer an air drying formula.
They are normally also found in clear bottles, where you can see the color of the polish through the glass and they can all be easily removed with a cotton pad soaked in acetone.
Depending on the ambient temperature and humidity, plus the nail polish’s formula, as some are quicker drying than others, it takes on average between 1-5 minutes for each coat of nail polish to dry. On average, a nail polish manicure can take anywhere from 4 - 20 minutes to dry.
Nail polishes also tend to lose their shine after 2-3 days and you have to reapply a top coat to maintain the shine.
The confusion often arises when nail polish is marketed as “gel-like,” “gel-shine” or any other gel-inspired word on the bottle.
These names imply a rock-hard long lasting, shiny finish, but these polishes still air dry and you don’t need a light to cure them.
You can tell a nail polish is only being marketed as gel-like, and that it’s not a true gel polish, as it will be in a clear bottle and it will say “standard nail lacquer” or “nail varnish” in the fine print on the label.
Gel Polish
All gel lamps use UV light to cure gel nail polish. The UV light is emitted through LED diodes. Older UV gel lamps used regular bulbs that needed to be replaced every 6 months, but nowadays it is all LED. Thankfully, this gives the modern gel lamps you buy today a longer life span as many will last through 50,000 hours of curing.
Gel polish cures with UV light, so it’s stored in opaque, black or white bottles to avoid accidental sunlight curing. Though, even when gel polish mildly cures with sunlight, it will not fully cure without a specific gel lamp.
Gel polish can also be stickier, even when it is fully cured. This is an adhesion layer, which helps it last as long as it does.
Some nail polish brands sell a “no-wipe” top coat, which means the adhesion layer cures with no stickiness
Just like nail polish, there are many forms of gel polish, but the most common is soft gel. Soft gel polish requires you to soak off your manicure in acetone. Hard gels, like builder gel, often require grinding off the manicure using an electric file.
Either way, gel removal is a more involved process when compared to nail polish, as it cannot typically be simply wiped off with an acetone soaked cotton pad.
Gel polish usually dries more quickly. Depending on the instructions that come with your nail lamp and individual gel polish, it usually takes between 30 seconds - 2 minutes for each coat of gel polish to cure. On average, a gel polish manicure can take anywhere between 2 - 8 minutes to fully dry/cure.
Gel polishes stay shiny throughout the weartime and you do not need to reapply a top coat to help your manicure maintain its shine.
Finally, gel polish has added costs, you need a lamp, plus soaking trays and/or foil and clips for removal.
Does nail polish or gel nail polish last longer?
Typically, when you prep your nails really well, even the longest lasting nail polish manicures last around 5-7 days.
Gel polish manicures typically last between 8-14 days.
That said, there are outliers in each group - some nail polishes that last longer than average and some gel polishes don’t last as long as you hope.
One of the main reasons you’d choose a gel manicure over a regular polish manicure is because they last longer, stay shiny for longer and dry more quickly.
Overall, gel polish is often seen as a lower hassle manicure, because it stays looking nice for longer and once it’s cured, it’s rock hard - there’s no chance of random smudges. With nail polish, even when it dries, there’s still a chance it doesn’t fully dry for hours later.
Is nail polish or gel nail polish better?
It depends on what matters to you!
If you like to change your nail color more frequently, nail polish is better.
Nail polish is also generally considered lower risk, as there’s no UV exposure involved. Nail polish is also a lower cost investment.
Though gel polish manicures are considered low exposure to UV light, there is still the risk of exposing yourself to UV rays. Gel polish is also typically a higher cost investment.
The trade off for that risk is that gel nail polish lasts longer, stays shiner and it can be cheaper in the long run, as it results in less product use through fewer manicure changes.
If you like more frequent polish changes, lower costs and a lower risk set up, nail polish is best. If you like to spend less time on manicures, a faster drying finish and a longer wear time, gel polish is best.
Let’s recap the general differences between nail polish vs gel polish:
Nail polish is bottled in clear glass; gel polish is bottled in opaque glass
Nail polish air dries; gel polish needs a UV/LED lamp to cure
Unless it’s a quick drying formula, nail polish usually takes longer to dry; gel polish dries in a shorter time
Nail polish is not sticky when dry, gel polish can remain tacky - even when dry
Nail polish needs a top coat reapplied every 2-3 days to stay shiny, gel polish stays shiny throughout the entire weartime
Nail polish has a shorter weartime; gel polish has a longer wear time
Nail polish removal is easier, gel polish removal is more intensive
Nail polish is usually expensive, gel polish is more expensive
If you’re looking for a lower UV exposure risk product, and enjoy changing out your nail color frequently, nail polish is your best choice.
If you’re looking for a longer lasting manicure and you plan to reduce your UV exposure through sunscreen and gloves prior to your manicure, gel polish may be your best fit.
All in all, for best results with either polish type and regardless of which brand you buy as many are really good, aim to invest in the system. Get the base, color, top and/or lamp from the same brand, all the way through.
The more you can match your products to work with each other, the greater chances of your success, since it lines things up on the chemical side.
When everything works together, it’s more likely the chemical reactions that have to take place in order for either polish type to set properly, will take place.
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